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English Io
At the forefront of this shift was the work of conceptual artist Barbara
Kruger, known for her bold text art critiquing consumerism and mass
media.
By taking a closer look at one of her works, entitled You Are Not
Yourself, we can see this ideological shift in feminism come into play
through the genius of Barbara Kruger, as well as how she employs
language and typography to make the viewer question even their own
identity.
Kruger’s work reflects the consumerist media’s discovery of the
formative power of images, but she uses this theory for a political end
goal.
Kruger developed her signature look: high-contrast black and white
photographs with words set in bold block-shaped font superimposed
on top. The phrases are usually short and simple but packed with
meaning. What makes this format so effective is its simulation of media
imagery: the black and white photos are similar to those found in
newspapers and tabloids, while the bold, simple words seem very
dictatorial, lending credibility to the statements.
This was especially important in the 1980s as postmodern ideas
incorporated themselves into feminist thought: ideologies were
changing, and Kruger’s work was at the forefront in showcasing this
transformation.
Ideologically, the rise of the feminist art movement in the 1960s and
1970s sought to reclaim the female identity while preserving what they
believed were the fundamental differences between men and women.
Feminist artists during the seventies explored the shared, collective
experiences of women as a means to understand themselves as
individuals. A lot of this exploration dealt with the female body, which
had become a symbol of passivity and objectification.